Lubricator



(NMQdel.)

' J. Q. FINCH.

LUBRICATOR.

WWA/8 'UNITED STATES l PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN Q. FINCH, OF YSAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

L'uBRlcA-ron.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 518,058, dated April 10,1894. Applicationrled March 5, 1891- Serial No. 383,888. (No model.)

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Q. FINCH, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing inthe lcity and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Oil-Cups; and I hereby declare the of the cup showing its applicationto a journal.

Y Fig. 2 is a view of the cone and its cap.

A is the cup which, in the present case, I have shown made cylindrical in form, and B 1s a central cone extending from the bottom up to a point just below the top of the cup. This cone has a hole made through it, preferably conical in shape, as herein shown, hav# ing the smallest diameter at'the top and the largest at the bottom.

C is a rod or wire extending upward through the opening in this central cone, and at the upper end it is bent sharply over the side of the cone so that it dips into the cup outside of the cone, as shown at C. The opposite end of this rod or wire extends opening in the journal-box or bearing until its end is in contact with the revolving shaft or pin which is to be lubricated by it, or if it be used to lubricate sliding surfaces, it will rest upon one of these surfaces.

The rod or Wire C is preferably made by twisting up small wires of metal into a small wire rope or strand of sufficient size to pass up through the opening in the cone, and to move freely but without too much play within it. `By the use of a twisted wire the oil is' carried along the grooves between the wires by capillaryaction. But capillaryaction alone would not be sufficient to cause the ow of oil necessary to lubricate a bearing by means of a twisted wire. The ow of oil along the wire is aided by vibration due to the rubbing motion of the shaft along the point of the wire. It is also aided by the continual tearing away of the' drop of oil which forms around the base down through anv of the wire where itrests upon the shaft. As the twisted wire constitutes really a metallic wick it conducts-'heat from the shaft to the oil with which it is in contact causing it to become more fluid and to flow more readily along the wire. Since the vibration, the tearing away ofthe oil, andthe heat all cease when the shaft stops revolving, it is evident thatofeeding of oil must stop or be red need to an inappreciable amount. The heat of a journal increases with the load upon it. The rate .of lubrication must, therefore, increase on accountof the conductivity of the metallic wick.

The cup A maybe made of metal, or of other suitable or desirable material, but I prefer to make it of glass, hard rubber, or other insulating material, and is set into an exterior metal case orsocket D whichy is iitted to be screwed into or secured over the opening in the journal-box through which the lubricant passes to the journal. A small. cap E is fitted over the top of the cone, this cap having a slot in one side to allow the bent arm or wire to pass through it and dip into the` lubricant within the cup. A cap F is also placed over the top of the cup Alto prevent dust from getting in'to the oil, and also to prevent the oil from being thrown out when the cup is set upon a crank pin, or any other place Where the cup itself is subjected to violent motion. Both the caps E'and F, in this case, serve to prevent the oil from being thrown out of the cup either into the cone, or over-the outside edges by reason of the motion.

I have experimented considerably upon these cups, and I find that when made of iron or other metal, the oil will be drawn out from 'the cup with very much greater rapidity than when it is made of glass, and that bymaking .the cupof glass with the metallic wire constructed as above described, the feed from the cup will always be slow-and constant, and only while the machinery is in motion.

Having thus described my invention, what `I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters As a new article of manufacture, alubricating cup having a centrally perforated stem projecting from its lower end, having means for removably connecting it centrally above the journal to be lubricated, said cup being composed of an exterior metal case with an IOO interior lining forming a receptacle, a eene coneentrle with the interior Walls of the receptacle having a vertical central passage rest in operative Contact with the surface to be lubricated, when the cup is in place.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my continuous with the passage in the exterior hand. stem, and a metallic conductor impervious JOHN Q. FINCl-I. to oil, bent upon itself with one end resting Witnesses:

within the receptacle and the other extend- GEO. H. STRONG, lng down through the cone and stem, so as to S. H. NOURSE. 

